123D Circuits For Cloud-Based Arduino Prototyping

Last week, while attending the Create Make Learn Summer Institute, I noticed that a lot of people were using AutoDesk to access Tinkercad and other free online design tools.  As a result, I checked it out and discovered 123D Circuits and the Electronics Lab, which allows users to simulate working on a breadboard, write and compile the code, and then test it out digitally.

This might not seem like a revolutionary thing, but here's why I'm hooked:  I've found this tool to be an efficient way to code and prototype ATtiny85 microprocessors.

My digital breadboard, testing out code that I wrote for an ATtiny85

Small microprocessors such as the ATtiny85 can be incredibly tedious to prototype, often requiring multiple boards and lots of wires.  If you've ever tried connecting alligator clips to one, then you know that it's super tricky to keep the clips from touching one another while you're testing out your code.

That's where 123D Circuits can come in handy!  Rather than having to set up a breadboard (or get out the alligator clips) every time you want to test your code, you could use a digital breadboard to do it instead. Then, once you've verified that your code is doing what it's supposed to do, you can save it (along with your breadboard), making it easy to access and build upon later.

Paired with CodeBender and a Chromebook, I've found that not only can I test my code and wiring virtually, but I can also upload it right to my ATtiny85, using Arduino as an ISP.

Potential Pitfalls:
Although 123D Circuits has a lot of useful digital components, such as LEDs, resistors, and switches, I have not been able to figure out how to digitally test out a light sensor on an ATtiny85.  Also, there doesn't appear to be a sound sensor.

Code Bender & Chromebooks: Cloud-based Arduino Programming

I've just spent the morning programming ATtiny85s (for paper circuitry projects) using my Chromebook!

I just discovered that it's possible (and easy) to program an Arduino board by adding the CodeBender plug-in to your browser!  Using CodeBender takes less time than trying to set up the Arduino IDE on a PC and allows users to access their sketches from any computer!  This is bound to save time if you are ever teaching a workshop for a group who hasn't set up Arduino on their devices before, or if your students are Chromebook users.

Lessons Learned:
1.  When using CodeBender, you cannot use an AVR Tiny Programmer on a Chromebook (you can use one with the Firefox browser, however).  Using an Arduino UNO set up as an ISP, however, will do the trick.

ReMEDIAtion: Transforming Your Own Videos into Animation Using DoInk Apps

Transforming Videos into Animation Using DoInk Apps

For the second week of the Connected Learning MOOC (#clmooc), we were challenged to try new tools to engage with remixing and transforming media from one form into another. 

I ended up using a feature of the DoInk Animation and Drawing App that I hadn't used before, allowing me to create animations from my own video clips!

In the process, my first draft of The Dog Days of Summer was born.  Over the past week, I've added some animations to it and tweaked the audio so that it gradually fades in and out.  Here is the link to the final cut:   "The Dog Days of Summer:  Final Cut."

Several people requested that I create a tutorial on how I created my video, so I've done so and shared it here.  In the interest of brevity, I didn't record an audio track to accompany my screen cast.  I hope that the visuals are self-explanatory.  If I can clear up any confusion, please let me know.

I chose my dog as the subject, because it was easy to record footage of him doing the things that dogs do. The process of drawing him frame by frame for hours on end was cathartic, launching me into a full state of flow.

A 25 Word Story Told with Animated Paper Circuitry

All of the sharing that's been happening during the first week of #clmooc has got me thinking more deeply about the roles of identity, connection, curation, and the ways that we portray ourselves in the myriad settings of our lives.  When we put ourselves out into the world, we are attempting to communicate and connect with others, but we may not always be successful.  Sometimes, we may feel like our words are disappearing into cyberspace. Other times, we might be hoping for a sign that our message has been received, by looking to the outside world for validation that what we have to say has value beyond our selves.  I suspect that for some, social media may even lead to alienation in the pursuit of authentic human connection.  I am grateful to #clmooc for explicitly inviting participants to reflect on issues like this as we explore and consciously create our connected learning community.

I decided to turn my latest paper circuit into an animated #25wordstory, which came to me when I started thinking about the paradox of social media.  I am interested in the intersection between paper circuitry and story-telling, to get myself thinking and expressing in new ways.

To create the video, I used the DoInk Green Screen and Drawing/Animation apps and iMovie.

Klexos Remixed #DoNowObject

Perched upon the windowsill in my kitchen are three pairs of binoculars; this pair, found in an antique shop, is my favorite.  This object represents my attention to detail, a desire to watch, learn, and create, and my passion for noticing things that are often overlooked by others.  These lenses represent my passion for watching birds flitting around my yard, the value I place upon quiet introspection, and the ways that past events may be viewed in the mind’s eye.  They symbolize a desire to be deeply known, viewed beyond the surface.

After seeing @Susan Watson’s post depicting a list of emotions that people feel but cannot explain, I journeyed down a wormhole to explore the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows. While there I savored the story of Klexos, by turning the text into a blacked out poem that expresses my thoughts.  

Klexos RemixedLife is opportunities.Look closer: notice.Questioning enrichesto allow someone to expose cracks by thoughts alone.It’s worth looking in memories,memory as art.Paint and remember.

Paper Circuitry Remix #untro

For the next few weeks, I will be participating in the Making Learning Connected MOOC, a collaboration between the National Writing Project and Educator Innovator.org.

For the first #clmooc make, we were asked to "shatter the parameters of our introductions" in order to "see things in a new way."

I decided to do this by remixing of a couple of images that I drew and illuminated with paper circuitry.

Yesterday, I drew a purple monster with three glowing eyes.  Today it was a green alien (a cosmic photo bomber?) with a glowing heart.

After experimenting with a couple of fun tools (Bazaart and Lunapic) I remixed the images into a new piece of art! (If you look carefully, you may notice an alien heart beating).

I love the way that the new image tells a story without words and how the aliens look like open, welcoming critters.

Paper Circuitry and Animation

I have been captivated by paper circuitry and e-textiles since last summer, when I first started learning about soft circuits.  Using conductive thread or copper tape with LEDs to create objects that light up makes me extraordinarily happy, even if it hasn't necessarily contributed to my becoming a better writer, yet.  

While I have been deepening my exploration with soft circuits in my personal life, and by teaching a few workshops here and there, I am particularly interested in thinking more deeply about ways that this interest of mine can be integrated into content area teaching.  I want to know whether paper circuitry can help me and my future students become better thinkers, writers, and communicators.

I'd like to hear from other educators about how you have used paper circuitry to help upper middle to high school students communicate ideas or tell stories. 

Today, while I was thinking about this, I had an idea that could have some promise.  Rather than leaving my circuit hidden in a notebook, I decided to use it in a digital animation.   

Here's How I Did It:
This video is an app smash of iMovie, DoInk Greenscreen, and DoInk Drawing and Animation. I started by recording footage of a drawing of two cars in the middle of a road, with blinking headlights powered by a paper circuit.  I imported this clip into the DoInk Greenscreen app.  Next, I took a photo of the drawing and used Pixlr photo editer to remove the background from one of the cars, saving it as a transparent PNG file.  I imported the PNG file into the DoInk Drawing and Animation app and created a new composition, making the photograph appear to move.  I added the text by creating another animation.  I imported these compositions as new layers within the Greenscreen app, uploaded the final video to camera roll, and added audio within iMovie.